China

Visitor numbers from China are expected to pick up over winter, with good growth to be seen by summer.

A panel of experts at Auckland Airport’s Tourism Forum outline how NZ can better serve Chinese visitors as they start to return.

TNZ says the country is in a strong position as a destination of choice for Chinese travellers.

The return of Chinese tour groups is happening faster than some industry professionals expected with strong demand for New Zealand being seen by market specialists.

“It’s going to provide a late summer boost to the tourism sector,” says Auckland Airport’s Scott Tasker.

Tourism businesses will need to focus on changes in Chinese tourist thinking and priorities to serve the market as it returns to New Zealand.

Tour groups will soon start arriving in volume but is the country ready to welcome back one of its most important source markets?

The return of Chinese tourists and students will give New Zealand’s economy a welcome boost this year as domestic demand wanes, says Westpac.

Even if demand surged over 2023, it would take time for supply – in this case, airline capacity – to catch up, says the bank.

NZ’s reputation as an outdoor experiential destination could help drive Chinese visitation.

Air New Zealand is adding additional capacity to its Shanghai services to meet demand from China.

CTS’ Lisa Li says the first significant tranche of visitors will arrive for Easter but NZ must become more efficient at processing visas.

NZ is one of 20 countries selected as part of a pilot programme allowing travel agencies to restart outbound group travel.

The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association says the return of Air New Zealand’s services to China marks the close of a “traumatic” era for aviation during Covid.

CTS’ Lisa Li on how the Chinese visitor recovery could look for NZ tourism.

The pandemic has likely reshaped the Chinese visitor market and accelerated trends that were only just starting to appear before international travel largely came to a halt in 2020.

Tourism New Zealand and The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have updated the Code of Conduct for China Approved Destination Status for inbound tour operators and tour guides.

New Zealand has some advantages once the Chinese government allows its citizens to travel for leisure again.

From catering for some of the 400k visitors annually from China, almost all the specialist ITOs have shut their doors.

The airline alliance was first signed in a less fraught era of international politics.

A change to visa categories should make it easier for tourism operators to plug Chinese language skills gaps.

Convincing potential Chinese travellers they will not be discriminated against when they land in New Zealand is a key issue for Tourism New Zealand.

A survey of Chinese-owned businesses in New Zealand shows tourism operators are seeing fewer customers and their cash flows will only last about three months.

Hastings District Council has delayed its Amazing China-Hastings Year of Tourism competition because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Around 20% of the potential market has cancelled already with more expected in coming days.

NZ tourism is now more exposed to falls in the Chinese market than it was in the SARS crisis of 2003, says ASB.

The sector is bracing for the impact of the outbreak although estimates vary on its longterm effect.

A suspected case is being investigated in Queenstown as Jim Boult warns against “racism and xenophobia”.

NZX-listed tourism companies are starting to feel the effects of the outbreak.

Operators are urged to inform TNZ of cancellations so it can collate and share information.

The Chinese Govt ban on outbound tours will hit a significant proportion of NZ’s second-largest source market.

Destination Rotorua’s annual Chinese New Year event has taken place in Auckland as the Year of the Rat is ushered in.

Overseas airports are screening for the lethal strain from China but the Ministry of Health is not in favour.

A continuing drop in the China market could see the country miss out on half-a-billion dollars over the next two years.

The airline is focused on the Chinese city following a “challenging” 2019.

Destination Rotorua has partnered with Christchurch Airport to adopt Chinese smartphone app Alipay in a bid to help Rotorua businesses be more successful in the Chinese market. 

The first of the gifts that are the heart of the Amazing China-Hastings Year of Tourism secondary school competition have arrived.

Kelvin Davis rejects criticism from National that the Govt has been ‘distracted’ over the China-NZ Year of Tourism.

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development has launched a destination guide on Chinese social platform WeChat.

A kapa haka performance and special carving have been given by Te Puia | New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in the official China-New Zealand Year of Tourism closing ceremony.

A ‘distracted’ Government has failed to deliver on China tourism, according to the National Party.

Tourism New Zealand has spent $327k on a campaign to run during China’s one-day shopping extravaganza, Singles Day, in a bid to promote New Zealand as a holiday destination.

Tourism minister Kelvin Davis will fly to China on Friday for the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism closing ceremony.

Operators will find it easier to employ Chinese tour guides under the new free trade agreement, says the govt.

Tourism minister Kelvin Davis is flying to China tomorrow to meet with minister of culture and tourism Luo Shugang, other political leaders and senior tourism officials to discuss future tourism cooperation opportunities.

SKYCITY Entertainment Group has won the Contribution to the Growth of Chinese Tourism in New Zealand accolade at the HSBC New Zealand China Trade Association Awards.

Tourism New Zealand has partnered with China’s tech giant Tencent Holdings to keep NZ “top of mind” for high-value Chinese visitors. 

Tourism was on the agenda of last week’s official government visit to China led by the Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker. 

The drop contributed to an overall dip in total February arrivals to 417,900, down 1.3% on the same month last year. 

China arrivals to New Zealand during the Chinese New Year Holiday period fell 9% on last year’s record level, according to an analysis by Tourism Industry Aotearoa.